1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a mechanical shoe expander for a drum brake device and more particularly to a brake cable connecting apparatus for connecting a clevis of a brake cable to a brake lever of a brake actuating mechanism mainly comprised of a strut and the brake lever via a connecting pin.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known brake cable connecting apparatus is such that a brake cable, mainly comprised of an inner cable and a clevis, is connected to a brake actuating mechanism comprised of a plate-like brake lever, a strut, a pivot pin and a washer, via a connecting pin. The configuration where the connecting pin is engaged with a cable connecting hole formed in the brake lever and engagement holes formed in the clevis is widely used.
The suggested configuration where the cable connecting hole of the brake lever is replaced with a cable connecting groove will be explained next as an example of a conventional type with reference to FIG. 24. A brake lever 71 has a cable connecting groove 71d in a free end 71c, and a spring member 90 urges the cable connecting groove 71d to cover thereof. When a clevis 82 of a brake cable 80 is connected to the brake lever 71, engagement holes 82b (only one side shown in FIG. 24) of the clevis 82 are placed above the spring member 90, a connecting pin 84 is engaged with the engagement hole 82b, 82b as shown with the phantom line (two-dot chain line), and the spring member 90 is deformed as pulling an inner cable 81, allowing the connecting pin 84 to pass to the cable connecting groove 71d shown as the entity, thereby completing the connection of the brake cable 80 to the brake lever 71. As the spring member 90 covers the cable connecting groove 71d of the brake lever 71 after that, the brake cable 80 is not disengaged from the brake lever 71.
However, when the connecting pin 84 is engaged with the clevis 82, it is necessary to adjust the insertion depth of the connecting pin 84 manually as shown with the phantom line (two-dot chain line). Moreover, there is a risk that the connecting pin 84, when in a free state of being, might fall (disengaged) out by its own weight until the brake cable 80 is connected to brake lever 71 by pulling the inner cable 81. Therefore, it is necessary to retain the connecting pin 84 by fingertips as shown with the phantom line (two-dot chain line). In addition, when the brake cable 80 is inserted, it is necessary to adjust the insertion depth of the clevis 82 by fingers, which is opposite of the above-mentioned fingers for adjusting the insertion depth of the connecting pin 84, so that the engagement holes 82b, 82b of the clevis 82 is positioned to allow the connecting pin 84 to be inserted thereinto as shown with the phantom line (two-dot chain line). Furthermore, a large and complex shaped spring member 90 is provided as an independent, essential component, thereby increasing production cost, such as material cost and processing cost and also increasing the assembly cost because of increasing the processing time due to the addition of the assembly process of the spring member 90 and the confirmation process of non-misassembly. The above-conventional type is disclosed in Japanese provisional patent publication number 2001-349359 (paragraphs 0005-0021, FIGS. 1-4).